Mail-box.



T. TURNBULLI MAIL Box. APFUCATION FILED MAR. 9, 1917.

1,2%5,1355 Patented Oct. 80,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR VLfiTNESS TZZT'H ATToRN EY T TURNBULL.

MAIL BOX.

MFLICA'I'IDH FILED MAR- 9, I917.

1,245,136. Patented Oct. 30,1917.

2 S HEETS SHEET 2.

INVENTOR WIT 555- I Ur" ATTORN Y THOMAS TURNBULL, or HUNTINGTON, wnsr VIRGINIA.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 30, 1917.

Application filed March 9, 1917. Serial N 0. 153,764.

is to provide a mail box which is so constructed and arranged upon a door as to prevent the pilfering of the box and its contents, the attaching means for the box being completely concealed when the door is in closed position, thereby preventing the surreptitious removal of the attaching means.

Another characteristic of this invention resides in the provision of a device of the above described character in which the delivery opening is controlled by a door, the means for actuating the door being of novel construction for limiting the o ening movement of the door to prevent pil ering of the contents of the box.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple, durable and eflicient in its construction and which may be manufactured at a nominal cost.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the specification is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device showing the same applied to a door.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the box.

Fig. 3 is a perspective; view of the box removed from the door.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the box show ing the cover or hood in open position.

Referring to the drawings in detail, my

invention comprises a box generally indicated as at A which is formed of any suitable material such as metal or the like, and

which is in this instance of rectangular formation. The box includes the front and rear walls'l and 2 respectively, the side wall 3 and the top and bottom walls 4 and 5 respectively. The top wall 4 is provided centrally thereof with a rectangular opening 6 and a relatively smaller opening 7 arranged adjacent one end of the opening 6. Hingedly secured to the underside of the top wall 4 at the forward side of the opening 6 is a.

door 8 which is of a greater width than the internal width of the box and is adapted to normally lie in an inclined position to obstruct the opening, a coiled rectractile spring 9 being interposed between the underside of the door and the adjacent'side wall of the box to normally hold the door in obstructed position. Secured to one end of the door upon its upper side is one end of an operating lever 10, the lever extending through the opening 7 and having its upper end pro vided with a head 11. When the door is in an obstructing position, the lever 10 projects above the box so as to permit the ready actua'tion of the lid as will be understood.

It will be evident from the foregoing construction that when the lever 10 is depressed, the door 8 will be swung to open position thereby permitting the mail to be inserted into the box. The head ll formed on the upper end of the lever is adapted to limit the downward movement of the lever and consequently the swinging movement of the door 8 so that the door may beonly moved a sufficient distance to permit the insertion of the mail, and not the persons hand when attempting to pilfer the contents of the box.

One of the side walls 3 is provided with a rectangular opening 12 to. one vertical wall of which is secured a door 13, the door being mounted for outward swinging movement and provided with a lock 14: of any common construction which is engageable with the wall of the boxto lock the door in closed position. Secured to the inner side-of the door 13 is one extremity of a coil retractile spring 15, the opposite extremity being se cured to the inner face of the front wall 1 which serves to normally hold the door 1n closed positions.

The front wall 1 of the box is provided upon its outer-side with a transversely disposed spring clip 16 which is in this instance formed from a single piece of wire and bent intermediate its ends to providethe substantially U-shaped portion 17, the opposite ends of which are coiled about themselves as at 18. The free ends of the coil 18 are secured to the box in any suitable manner while the intermediate portion of the U-shaped portion 17 is provided with an operating handle 19.

It will be evident from this construction that the coils 18 serve to normally retain the intermediate portion 17 in contact with the box. This clip 16 is adapted to be used for holding newspapers and other second class matter which cannot be inserted into the box.

The rear wall 2 ofthe box is provided upon one vertical edge thereof with spaced hinges 20, while the remaining vertical edge is provided with spaced flanges 21, the hinges and flanges receiving suitable fastening members such as screws or the like whereby the box may be secured upon a door. In this instance I have shown the box arranged adjacent the vertical free edge of the door, the flanges 21 being so disposed as to be interposed between the door and the door jamb when the door is in closed position whereby a person in attempting to remove the box from the door will not have access to the fastening members mounted in the flanges in attempting to remove the same. The hinges 20 is a preferable means for connecting one edge of the mail box to the door leading into the dwelling, and fur ther serves, when the said door is in'an open position, to permit .of'a horizontal swing ing movement of the box upon the release of the flanges 21 from said door. It will be noted that the box is so arranged upon the door as to dispose the door 13 contiguous to the frame of the door whereby it will be impossible to open the door of the box in the event that the lock is in released position. It is to be understood that when the door upon which the box is mounted is swung to open position thataccess may be had to the door 13 to remove thecontents of the box, also that the box may be removed "from the door by withdrawing the fastening member as will be understood. 7

in this instance l have shown the rear walls 2 extended beyond the top wall a for an appreciable distance to provide a coextensive flange 22 to the upper end of which is hingedly secured a cover or hood 23. The l1ood23 is. or" such a size as to completely cover the top of the box and is curved in the form of an are so as'to dispose its free horizontal cdgenpon the front wall of the box as is clearly shown in the drawings. The horizontal free edge of the hood is bent longitudinally to provide a good gripping surface whereby the hcad may be swung upwardly upon its pivot to expose the delivery opening. The ho'od 23 is purposedly designed for protecting the delivery opening and consequently the contents of the box from the elements as will, be understood.

It is thought from the foregoing taken in cttiestz this paten may he obtained tor connection with the accompanying drawings that the operation and construction of my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and that minor changes in the size, shape and propertionand minor details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A mail box having a delivery opening formed in the top wall thereof, a door hingedly mounted within the box and'adapted to control said opening, a spring secured to the box and engageable with the door for normally holding the same in closed position, a lever carried by the door and extending through the top of ,thebox for actuating said door, and a head formed on said lever and engageable with the top wall fot the box to limit the movement of said door in one direction. I

A mail box having a delivery opening formed in one wall thereof, a door swinginglymounted within'the box and adapted to control said opening, said door being of a width greater than that of the internal width of the box and adapted to normally lie upon an incline and means for actuating said door.

3. A mail box compr1sn1g controlling the opening, actuating means for the door extending through the top wall of said box, means formed on'one extremityof the actuating means'and engageable with the top wall or the box for limiting the operation of the door in one direction, and a curved hood hingedly secured to the box at a point above the top wall thereof and overlying said delivery opening and actuating member upon the closed position thereof.

4. A mail box comprising a top wall 'rnonas rnnnnnitn Washington, D. C.

a top wall formed with a dehveryopemng, a-door for 

